Take the Test ~ Are the Body and World Real for You?

Following are some questions that may help to reveal if your belief in the body and the world is still strong. When you are ready, you can offer each of these beliefs to Spirit and ask to have them healed. When reviewing the following questions please answer with radical self honesty. Rather than answer intellectually, try dropping into your heart and allow your beliefs to be raised to the light of conscious awareness. Here…they can be seen, and then forgiven:

Where in your own life do you believe the cause of pain, sickness, aging, scarcity, conflict or suffering is outside in the body, in others, in the past or in the world? Take time to write these beliefs down.

Are sickness and pain seen as legitimate and inevitable experiences here in the world?

Which do you believe is the greater error, to be the victim of attack or to be the perpetrator of attack?

Do you believe that physical death is not only a natural, legitimate part of life…but that it is inevitable? In other words, do you believe that life always ends in death?

Do you believe that the body and its state of health sustains your life here in the world?

Do you believe in the ego’s laws of scarcity, attack and loss? And do you see yourself as largely hostage to these laws?

Do you often make decisions and plans independently of Spirit?

Do you attempt to protect yourself, your life or loved ones independently of Spirit?

Do you believe some foods are good while others are bad for you?

Do you believe that food increases weight while dieting sheds weight?

Do you believe that cancer (or sickness) is caused by external influences, like diet, heredity, lifestyle, smoking, etc?

Do you place your faith in the world’s laws of economics, rather than in Spirit’s Law of endless Supply (abundance)?

Do you believe the laws of nature are immutable?

Do you believe that your body will eventually age and deteriorate?

Do you believe that sacrifice or struggle is legitimate in order to be happy, loved, healthy and abundant?

Do you believe you need to earn your right to be Loved and worthy?

Do you believe that death offers some advantage that life does not, such as escape from the body, the end of ego, the end of conflict, a state of peace, rest, reunion with God or loved ones, or a state of completion, etc?

If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, then your belief in the ego’s world along with its laws is strong. What you believe is what you unconsciously expect. Because your will is as powerful as God’s, your expectations must materialize. Much of our “will” is unconscious until we bring it to the light of Spirit to be forgiven and transformed.

While we believe that we are independently responsible for the body and our world, apart from Spirit, not only do we reinforce that the body and world are real, but we abdicate our Holiness. This is the Holiness that reverses all the laws of the world. What really sustains us? Is it the body and world? Or is it God’s Love. We cannot know and trust in God’s Love to sustain us while we continue to run our lives apart from Spirit. In doing so we mistakenly deem that the body and world are the “source” of our life, of our existence.

While all these mistaken beliefs are not bad in themselves, keeping them apart from reinterpretation by Spirit while we independently attempt to sustain and protect our lives, ensures that our unconscious guilt remains intact. Following are some very commanding quotes from Jesus. He teaches us that we are sustained by the Love of God and that we are under no laws but God’s.

“I am sustained by the love of God.” “Here is the answer to every problem that will confront you, today and tomorrow and throughout time. In this world, you believe you are sustained by everything but God. Your faith is placed in the most trivial and insane symbols; pills, money, “protective” clothing, influence, prestige, being liked, knowing the “right” people, and an endless list of forms of nothingness that you endow with magical powers…” ” All these things are your replacements for the Love of God.” W-50.1,2:1

“The seeming cost of accepting today’s idea is this: It means that nothing outside yourself can save you; nothing outside yourself can give you peace. But it also means that nothing outside yourself can hurt you, or disturb your peace or upset you in any way. Today’s idea places you in charge of the universe, where you belong because of what you are.” W-70.2:1-3

“I am under no laws but Gods.” “Think of the freedom in the recognition that you are not bound by all the strange and twisted laws you have set up to save you. You really think that you would starve unless you have stacks of green paper strips and piles of metal discs. You really think a small round pellet or some fluid pushed into your veins through a sharpened needle will ward off disease and death. You really think you are alone unless another body is with you.” A Course in Miracles, W-76.3.

“It is insanity that thinks these things. You call them laws, and put them under different names in a long catalogue of rituals that have no use and serve no purpose. You think you must obey the “laws” of medicine, of economics and of health. Protect the body, and you will be saved.” W-76.4.

“These are not laws, but madness. The body is endangered by the mind that hurts itself. The body suffers just in order that the mind will fail to see it is the victim of itself. The body’s suffering is a mask the mind holds up to hide what really suffers. It would not understand it is its own enemy; that it attacks itself and wants to die. It is from this your “laws” would save the body. It is for this you think you are a body.” W-76.5.

“There are no laws except the laws of God. This needs repeating, over and over, until you realize it applies to everything that you have made in opposition to God’s Will. Your magic has no meaning. What it is meant to save does not exist. Only what it is meant to hide will save you.” W-76.6.

“We will begin the longer practice periods today with a short review of the different kinds of “laws” we have believed we must obey. These would include, for example, the “laws” of nutrition, of immunization, of medication, and of the body’s protection in innumerable ways. Think further; you believe in the “laws” of friendship, of “good” relationships and reciprocity. Perhaps you even think that there are laws which set forth what is God’s and what is yours. Many “religions” have been based on this. They would not save but damn in Heaven’s name. Yet they are no more strange than other “laws” you hold must be obeyed to make you safe…” ” There are no laws but God’s. Dismiss all foolish magical beliefs today, and hold your mind in silent readiness to hear the Voice that speaks the truth to you.” W-76.8,9:1-3

Prayer to Release Beliefs in the Body and the World

If you truly wish to release these blocks to the awareness of Love’s presence and free yourself from these ego beliefs and values, then perhaps you will go within and ask Spirit which of these limiting beliefs in the body and world you would like to release for healing. Here is a short prayer:

“While I now recognize that my faith in this body and world’s laws is temporarily stronger than my faith in God’s Love, I surrender my beliefs in___________________________to you, Spirit. And I ask that you take my perception and heal it. I also trust that once the cause of suffering in my mind is healed, so must healing transfer to its effects (symptoms). I open my heart in this instant to receive your healing by accepting the miracle, the Atonement that heals all. I also surrender the timing of the miracle. Amen.”

Nouk,
This is such a good reminder to turn inward to the Holy Spirit to guide us through our decisions and plans. As a new student, these reminders are critical because we forget to ask. . My daily prayer is to ask Spirit to accept my willingness to hear His Voice, to follow His Guidance, to experience God’s Love and extend It to all, and to see the Face of Christ reflected back to me in all my brothers. I find that I am now reluctant to try and make things happen on my own and more likely to ask spirit. However, I find myself unable to know what decisions Spirit would have me make so often end up doing nothing until I’m forced to make a decision. . Doing nothing is quite a challenge for a Type 1 personality but I am determined to wait on Spirit for answers before acting.

I heard you say in one of your teleconferences that guilt is the cause of aging. We have talked about this in our ACIM meetings. I am unable to find references for this concept in the Course. Would you please comment further on this belief. Thank you so much for your help. I look forward to reading your new book the minute it is available. Maryanne

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About Nouk

Nouk Sanchez is a beacon of Light among the many wonderful teachers of A Course in Miracles. Her unconditional Love and depth of wisdom awaken a safe and uncompromising space for students to safely explore hidden fears and blocks to God’s Love.

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Our aim is to help people recognize and undo the one cause of all suffering: the ego (aka – fear). By providing resources, education and mentoring, our intent is to empower individuals with the means to trust in their Divine Teacher within.

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